HUNDREDS of people gathered to discuss the future of a troubled academy, as a ‘Save Our School’ campaign was launched.

Staff at Winterbourne International Academy (WIA) met with parents and pupils at a public meeting at the United Zion Church in Frampton Cotterell yesterday evening.

This followed The Ridings Federation, which runs Winterbourne and Yate International Academy, announcing plans to hand control of the schools to a multi-academy trust (MAT).

Three MATs are interested in taking over – Oasis Community Learning Trust, the Greenshaw Learning Trust and Olympus Academy Trust in collaboration Castle School Education Trust.

Teachers and parents said they were against WIA being taken over by a national academy trust and would prefer one based locally.

They have united for a campaign, Save Our School, which urges parents to contact the government’s Regional Schools Commissioner for the South West, Rebecca Clark, who will make the final decision on which organisation takes over WIA.

Parents were also asked to contact their MP, MEP and councillors.

Ridings’ decision to relinquish control of the schools followed the revelation that there was a £1million shortfall in the budget for the academies, staff strikes and Ofsted inspections which criticised the leadership.

At the public meeting, parent Debbie Porteous said: “I have had four children go through the school who have had excellent experiences.

“The problems first arose when it was academised (in 2009). I’m not in favour of academies or academy trusts due to their lack of accountability.

“Oasis is a worse chain than the one we have. I don’t understand why it is being considered.”

A union representative added: “Oasis is bad news. Parents want to be able to have some kind of influence on how things are run because quite frankly it has not been run properly over the last two years.”

Senior staff member Gareth Keel said: “It’s sad to see the school get into this sort of state.”

But Mr Keel stressed that teaching standards had not been affected by the leadership crisis, as shown by impressive exam results this summer.

A parent with two children in year 11, Jane Bidwell, said: “Leadership has gone downhill. I’d just like a trust that is going to give good results and consult with parents and children.”

Parent Annette Wynne has a child in year nine and another due to start at the school.

She said: “I’d rather it wasn’t an academy but we can’t go back on this. Our only option is to find a local trust.”

Student Robert Porteous, 17, said: “Ideally it would go back to the council’s control but that’s not possible under a Tory government.

“Olympus seems like one of the better options – not Oasis.”

His sister, Ella, 15, said students had been affected by the unstable leadership and previous strikes.

Staff member Sue Sellers said: “Decisions haven’t been made based on facts, and everyone has had the wool pulled over their eyes. We weren’t told the trustees changed over summer for example, it just happened.

“If there is to be a change, then I’d like us to use a local trust.”

Teacher Lee Everson debunked the idea that the school had reached a ‘crisis’, explaining that the £1million pound budget deficit predicted was £400,000 at present.

Another teacher said this was due to a change in pension schemes with many other schools experiencing a similar deficit.

The crisis was publically criticised last Friday in a joint statement from the National Union of Teachers, National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, and Unison, who said that staff should not “pay for a crisis they did not create”.

The statement went on to outline that the unions “have a concern to protect and advance the provision of education in Yate and Winterbourne and have principles on how best that be done,” adding that they “will vigorously oppose any solution that involves the introduction of free schools or selection.”

It added that “if the schools are to remain academies, we would prefer a local MAT rather than a national chain” but criticised the Oasis Trust, based on its poor record locally of relations with employees, its plan to make a 12 per cent budget reduction and its imposition of a particular ethos which Ridings staff and parents have not signed up to.”

A spokesman for The Ridings’ Federation of Academies trustees said: “We welcome the interest of Greenshaw Learning Trust, Oasis Community Learning and recently the Olympus Academy in collaboration Castle School Education Trust in the re-brokering process.

“These MATs have now commenced their two-week due diligence process and therefore we are unable to comment further at this time.”

“The Vice-Chair has confirmed that, because the process is being dealt with via the DfE and the Regional Schools Commissioner, The Academy Trust has no knowledge of the MATS intentions and therefore cannot comment until this becomes clear.”

A spokesperson for Oasis Community Learning said: “As part of the decision-making process on whether a school will partner with Oasis, we carefully consider capacity planning, which includes such aspects as geographical location and our capacity to improve the predecessor school.

“In line with this, Oasis is looking to partner with only Winterbourne International Academy which is closer in proximity to our existing Bristol academies.

“We are currently in discussions with the academy and other stakeholders as part of our due diligence process that we take extremely seriously; it is of paramount importance that any new partnership is the right choice for the students, the academy and Oasis.

“We look forward to continuing our dialogue with the school, the Ridings Trust, the community and the Department for Education about our potential involvement.”